Rotary spreader



E. M.y FULKERSON El" AL Feb. 1o, 1942.

ROTARY SPREADER Original Filed Dec. ll 1938 2'SheetsSheet 1 aufm/naad Feb. 10, 1942. M, FuLKl-:RsoN ETAL ROTARY SPREDER 2 Smeets-sheet 2 Original FiledDeo. 1, 1938 www E.MFuersan JC. Fulltersan Reissued Feb. 10, 1942 s PATENT OFFICE ROTARY SPREADER Elmer M. Fulkerson and Jesse C. Fulkerson,

Sonora, Ky.

Original No. 2,200,165, dated May 7, 1940, Serial No. 243,469, December 1,

10, 1941, Serial No. 378,326

reissue February Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in rotary spreaders.

The primary object of the invention, is to provide a spreader for distributing lime, marl and other fertilizer material which is capable of being mounted on a motor vehicle truck and operable from the traction engine thereof. l

A further object of the invention, is to provide a fertilizer spreader of the above mentioned type in which the material is fed rearwardly of the truck and is distributed therefrom in a fanshaped arc extending outwardly beyond the side Walls of the truck to thereby cover a greater spreader area. p

A still further obiect'of the invention, is to provide a rotary spreader of the above mentioned type which may be detachably connected to the chassis frame of a motor' vehicle truck without requiring alterations to the truck body or spreader. v

Other objects and advantages of the invention, will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein: y

Figure 1 is a top elevational view of i the spreader embodying the invention illustrating in detail, the arrangement with respect to the chassis of a conventional motor vehicle truck.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary endelevational view illustrating the position of the rotaryspreaders.

with relation to the hopper and feed means thereor. f l

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view takeh on line 3 3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the material feed conveyor in the hopper and further showing the manner in which the spreader is supported on the chassis frame of a motor vehicle;

Figure 4-is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 2 looking lin `the direction of the arrows showing in detail structural elements of the spreader drive and;

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows showing in detail one of the rotary spreaders and the division plate interposed between the spreaders for directing the material to be distributed thereby.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters will be employed to designate like parts throughout the samei and wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reference character I0 will generally be employed to designate the side chassis beams of a motor vehicle having a conventional traction motor,

1938. Application for Detachably mounted on the chassis beams ID of the motor lvehicle is a hopper II which is adapted to contain the lime, marl or. other material to be distributed. As illustrated in Figure 3, the hopper is provided with inclined side walls I2 converging in a central bottom trough I3 in which is located a screw conveyor I4 for feeding the material in the hopper rearwardly toward one end to a discharge opening provided in the rear hopper wall.

The conveyor I4 is provided with a shaft I5 having `its front end journaled in the front wall of the hopper and its rear end journaled in a vertical wall I6 extending transversely of the motor truck chassis and carried by a spreader structure at the rear of the hopper designated by the reference character I1.

The conveyor I4 and other parts are preferably driven from the tractionmotor of the truck,

. from and including the same or transmission having a power take-off shaft I9 leading therea suitable change speed gear mechanism as at 20.

Keyed to the shaft I9 to the rear of the change speed mechanism or box 20 is asprocket wheel 2| over which isf passed a sprocket chain 22 for driving a sprocket Wheel 23 keyed to the shaft I5.

The spreader mechanism I1 is preferably built onto and carried by rearwardly extending portions of the beams used to secure the hopper II removably to the chassis I0 including sidebeams 24 which are rigidly attached to the hopper Il and removably rest on the side beams II). U bolts or clamps, as at 25 are employed for l' anchoring the beams 24 to the chassis frame bars IIJ. A plate 26 is fastened to the under surface of the rearwardly extending portions of the beams 24 and a discharge opening is provided therein as at 21 so that material fed by the screw I4 .will fall through the opening 21, since it will abut and cannot travel past the wall or partition -I6 previously referred to. v

Also connected to the beams 24 is alpan or `the like 28 which is suspended beneath `the opening 21 so that the material fed by the hopper and screw conveyor will be directed to the centra] portion of the pan. Mounted on the pan, and disposed centrally thereof directly beneath .the opening 21 is a divider 29, serving to'dlvide the material in the hopper as it is fed through the opening 21 by the screw conveyor I4where f by the material will be guided to the contiguous peripheries of a pair of rotary spreaders 3|);

The rotary spreaders 3D are mounted in the pan 28, and are preferably provided with radial being suggested at I8 l flights 32 to facilitate engagement with and discharge of the material. A vertical wall 3| surrounds the pan 28 at the sides and front and the pan on opposite sides of the divider 29 extends forwardly slightly beyond the divider as best shown in Figures 4 and 5. yThe former gure showing the divider in centra1 longitudinal section. The pan 28 is open at the rear so that the spreaders will discharge or broadcast the material on both sides of the spreader.

The spreaders 30 are disk shaped and are provided with depending shafts 33 journaled in the bottom wall of the pan 28. Secured to the lower` ends of the shafts 33 are bevel gears which are adapted to engage beveled gear wheels 34 mounted in spaced relation on a transverse shaft 35, the ends of which are journaled in suitable bearings 36 depending from the pan 28. Hoods or guards 31 are secured to the underside of the pan 28 to protect the bevel gears against the material being discharged.

Parallel with the shaft 35 and journaled in the upper portion of the aforesaid bearings 36, is a shaft 38, the same alsopassing'through `the -rear portions ofthe beams 24. Mounted on the 'shaft 38 is a beveled gear wheel 39 which is keyed thereto and enmeshed with a beveled gear wheel 4U located on the rear end of the shaft I5. Sprocket gear wheels 4l and 42, are respectively keyed to the shafts 38 and 35 and a sprocket -chain 43 is passed therearound so that the spreaders will be driven from the shaft I9.

It will be realized, that the'device is driven 'by th'e traction motor or mechanism of the truck and that Zthe same in effect, forms a `unit which may be applied to the chassis of lthe truck, ythe driving mechanism and lpower take-off 'being vdetachably connected in any suitable mannerfrom a propeller shaft or vother shaftof the motor of the truck. l

It is to be understood, that the form of the invention herewith shown 'and `described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same and that various changes in the shape,'size and arrangement of parts may'beresortedt'o without;l

departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope-of the subjoined claims.

What we claim is:

1. A device of the'classdes'cribed, comprising a hopper having 'attaching beams, a conveyor in said hopper, means to drive vthe conveyor, said beams having 'portions 'extending rearwardly beyond the hopper, a plate securedto said portions having an opening through which 'the conveyor discharges material, a pan secured to said port-ionsto receive said material, aniabutment partition secured to said vportions at vthe rear of said opening constituting a bearing `for the conveyor, spreader means on vsaid pan, means todrive 'the spreader means operatively connected to the conveyor 'at the rear of said partition comprising parallel shafts, means fgearing `th`e shafts together, means to drive 'the spreader means from one of the shafts, and means at the sides-of the pan 'extending above and below it and `Aservinglas bearings for both of said parallel shafts.

2. A device of the L'class described, comprising a lhopper 'having attaching fb'eams, 'a conveyor in saidv hopper, means to drive the conveyor, said beams having portions 'extending rearwardly beyondthe hopper, a plate secured to said portions having an' opening through which Vthe conveyor discharges v'-material, a pan 'securedl't'o vsaid portions to receive said material, an abutment partition secured to said portions at the rear of said opening constituting a bearing for the conveyor, spreader means on said pan, means to drive the spreader` means operatively connected to the conveyor at the rear of said partition comprising parallel shafts, means gearing the shafts together, gearing to rotate the spreader means from one of the shafts, and means at the sides of the pan extending above and below it and serving as bearings for both of said parallel shafts, guards for said gearing and a divider for the material disposed below the said opening and in said pan.

3. A material spreader comprising a truck having a chassis, a hopper secured to the chassis having front and rear end Walls and converging side walls, an opening in said rear end wall at the point of convergence of the side walls and a horizontal discharge opening located outwardly of and adjacent said rear end wall,` a screw conveyor extending longitudinally of the hopper mounted at the point of convergence of said side walls and having its rear portion extending outwardly of said opening and projecting above the horizontal discharge opening, a pair of rotary spreaders having their contiguous peripheries mounted beneath the discharge opening to rel ceive material therefrom and means for driving the conveyor and spreaders.

4. A material spreader comprising a truck having a chassis frame, a hopper having la subframe coextensive with the chassis frame adapted to be secured thereto, said hopper having front and rear end walls and converging side walls, an opening in said rear end Wall at'the point of convergence of the side Walls and a horizontal discharge opening located outwardly of and adjacent said rear end wall, a screw conveyor extending longitudinally of the hopper 'mounted at the point of convergence of said side walls and having its rear portion extending outwardly of said opening and'projecting above the horizontal discharge opening, a pair of rotary spreaders having their contiguous peripheries directly beneath the discharge opening to receive material from the screw conveyor during rotation thereof to throw the material in a' fan shaped arc rearwardly of the hopper and means for driving the conveyor -and spreaders in unison, said screw 'conveyor constituting a closure for said opening when inoperative.

5. A material spreader comprising a truck having a chassis, a hopper secured to the chassis having front and rear end walls and converging side walls, an opening in said rear end wall at the point of convergence of the side walls and a horizontal discharge opening vlocated outwardly of and adjacent said rear end wall, a screw conveyor extending longitudinally of the hopper mounted at the point of convergence of the vside walls and having its rear portion extending outwardly of said opening and traversing the horizontal discharge opening, a pair of rotary spreadersmounted beneath the discharge opening with their contiguous peripheries thereben'eath, dividing means positioned beneath 'said discharge opening for conducting material to said spreaders whereby material will be thrown in a fan shaped arc rearwardly of the truck and means for driving the conveyor and'spreaders.

ELMER M. FULKERSON. JESSE C. FULKERSON. 

